To take 13 year old for private MRI as ankle feels like it’s popping in and out constantly?

[IdiotbutNOTabroad]

Doctor said NHS waiting time is about 6 months
Hes in agony some days and then nothing for others
He has to physically click the ankle back into place to allow the pressure to pass and when he does this massive click sounds happen
Ive tried a physio, a podiatrist and he’s had blood tests and an ultrasound.
I don’t know what else to do, I hate seeing him like this

0 on the beighton score - he’s not flexible at all!

Well as far as I know EDS doesn’t show up on a blood test, there’s no markers for it. Also doesn’t affect joints from a swelling and redness point of view.

so when Dd saw the rheumatology consultant he physically manipulated various joints and got her to bend her arms, etc about and then made a judgement on whether she had it or not. Dd thinks she also had x-rays in that appt (it was in lockdown so I wasn’t allowed in).

Maybe not then. You can have eds without scoring on the beighton test but that’s normally older people who have lost their flexibility. So I was very flexible as a kid, think I probably have eds but my joints are so knackered now they’re nearly fused in place.

Could it be linked to growth spurts which can be extremely painful ? My daughter has spells of this and it's returned again, but not as painful. We massage the ankle and foot, use a heat pack and pain killers. I don't think an mri would do any harm, but if all the other tests have come back normal I'm not sure if you'd get a consultant or gp to refer, private or otherwise.

0 on a Beighton score doesn't rule it out, just means you aren't going to diagnose EDS.

I'm 0 on a Beighton score - I have tight tendons and loose ligaments. However I can still do some v boring hypermobility stuff - world's least interesting party tricks - and physio pointed this out immediately.

The GP has referred on my request but equally isn’t sure it will show anything

it could be growth related, more concerned it started a few months after covid

My daughter has EDS and had same clicky ankle you describe at similar age. She didn't qualify on Beighton score - some joints not on there are really flexible but some joints on the test weren't. (Her shoulders are very flexible - she can apply self-tan/suncream to her own back, this joint isn't taken into account on the beighton score.) Other things are classic EDS.

She describes it as unbearably sharp pain.

We were told it was trapped ligament due to laxity. It happens frequently. Sometimes painful for minutes/hours - sometimes weeks.

She still gets this occasionally. She has crutches for when she can't bear the pain. She cannot put weight on that joint when it is bad. No amount of movement/manipulation can stop the pain - it simply clicks back on its own accord when it's ready. It was mainly triggered by going downstairs, so she adapted her foot position when negotiating staircases to try and minimise the occurrences.

I know not applicable but this was much worse for her during pregnancy - when the relaxin hormone was taking its toll.

I would go for a private MRI scan if you can afford it. Without the MRI there is a lot which is just guess work. No need to pay for a specialist first. If the MRi shows up a problem you can get it sorted on NHS. If nothing shows up you can still consider a private specialist or physiotherapist but an MRI scan can show or rule out lots of issues.